Dry cell.



J. E. RUNNER & W. A. PFISTERER.

DRY CELL.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 4, 1913. Q

1 1 12,480, Patented Oct. 6, 1914.

Witnesses Attorney&

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE...

J GSEPH E. RUNNER AND WILLIAM A. PFISTEREB, F DUNKIRK, INDIANA.

DRY CELL.

1,112,480. fi' f Pal/tent Patented Wt]. 6, 19146 Application filedAugust 4, 1913. Serial No. 782,933.

To all whom it may concern: 7 present invention. Fig. 2 is a sectiontaken Be it known that we, JOSEPH E. RUNNER on line 22 of Fig. 1.

and VII-LIAM A. PFISTERER, citizens of the Referring to the drawings,the numeral 1 United States, residing at Dunkirk, in the designates theouter casing which is the posi- 5 county of Jay, State of Indiana, haveinrtlve electrode of the dry cell, the same being so vented a new anduseful Dry Cell, of Which preferably composed of zinc and in the presthefollowing is a specification. ent instance shown as a hollow cylindricalThe present invention relates toimprovemember with the bottom sealed.Disposed ments in dry cells, one object of the present -w1thi-n the sameand lining the bottom and w invention b i th i i n of a; dry cell wallthereof, is a bibulous lining 2, which is in which the component partsare soar- .0 th sual material producing a spongy ranged, that a uniformconsumption f th lining for the zinc cup 1, the bottom thereof chemicalsis attained, thereby increasing the 7 being double the thickness of theside wall of life of the cell and maintaining its maxihe lining. o

5 mum efliciency during the entire life thereof. Thse electrolyte 3,which is intermixed A further object of the present invention ;Wltl1 aninert material forming a semi-solid is the production or a dry cell, inwhich the 1 mass adapted to retain the liquid electrolyte carbon ornegative electrode, is disposed 1 suspension s is t e usual custom, iswithin the electrolyte within the cell and is .placed within thebibulous lining 2 and dis- 20 completely surrounded thereby, thuspreposed centrally of the electrolyte 3 and havventing the exposure ofsuch porous body to ing its: ends terminate, equally spaced above theatmosphere, there being further p-rothe bottom and below the toprespectively of vided means for sealing the electrolyte that suchelectrolyte 3, is the negative electrode is capable of evaporation sothat the mois- 4;, preferably made of carbon and formed in 25 turetherewithin is retained for a greater the shape of a cylinder. Disposedwithin period and therefore the maximum elliciency the negativeelectrode 4 axially thereof and of the cell is increased and the periodof at a point intermediate of the respective up utilization prolonged.,perand lower ends, is a metal contact 5,

A still further object of the present inwhose terminal 6 is disposedwithin the 30 Vention, is the provision of a dry cell in Sleeve 7'whichis of the usual porous fiber which evaporation is prevented, therebyinsulation and extends upwardly and exteriholding the cell againstdeterioration either orly of the upper end of the cell, as clearly in orout of service and preventing the same illustrated in Fig. 1. Thus theinsulation 7 from drying from the top downward as is forms a vent forthe gas evolved during the 35 the usual trouble with dry cells, thispartic- I chemical action of the battery cell. The upular structure ofcell therefore decreasing per end of the terminal 6 constitutes the thehigher resistance at the upper end of a negative terminal of the cell.negative elect-rode due to such drying and Fitted over the upper body ofthe electrothus maintaining the electrolyte throughout lyte 3 and withinthe bibulous lining '2, is a 40 the full length of the negativeelectrode so disk 8 of the same material as the lining 2, that there areno dead spots within the while disposed above the disk 8 and in conll, vtact with the adjacent portion of the cup 1 is With the foregoing andother objects in a disk 9 of the positive electrode, said disk viewwhich will appear as the description being composed of the identicalmaterial 45 proceeds, the invention resides in the combithat the cup 1is composed of and being nation andarrangement of-parts and in thespaced equally from the upper end of the details of constructionhereinafter described negativcelcctrode l as the bottom of the andclaimed, it being understood that cup 1. I I changes in the preciseembodiment of the in- Placed upon the upper surface of the disk 56vention herein disclosed can be made within 9 is a packing 10 of aninsulating material, the scope of What is claimed without departin thepresent instance preferably sand or ing from the spirit of theinvention. fiber, the usual sealing compound 11 being In the drawingsFigure 1 is a vertical disposed to seal the upper end of the cup 1central sectional view through a dry cell and thus hermetically seal thecell so that 66 constructed according to and embodying the there is nodanger of evaporation at the contact portion with the upper end of thecup 1 and the portion surrounding the insulation 7. The outer surface ofthis insulation being slightly porous, forms an avenue of escape forevolved gas from the carbon electrode.

From the foregoing description, it is evident that with a dry cellconstructed as above set forth, the negative electrode 4 preferablycomposed of carbon, which as well known is porous, is maintainedproperly wet or moist at all times due to the fact that the upper endterminates within the electrolyte 3 and does not project exteriorly ofthe sealing portion 11, as is customary. By this means, the uniformchemical action of all forces is maintained throughout the full lengthof the negative electrode 4, and as the moisture is retained within thedry cell for the longest possible period, the life of the cell bothwhenin use and out of use is increased, and the maximum efficiency both asto voltage and amperage is maintained. The pulverized electrolyte 3 isas usual composed of an inert material mixed with a solution ofsalammoniac, or bichlorate of potash and sulfuric acid, or any usualcomposition used for filling dry cells andit has been found that thezinc container 1 may be made of any size and shape, and due to thehermetically sealed package which prevents to a great degree theevaporation 'of the moisture within the chemical electrolyte, thebattery of a smaller size will be as etheient as the usual form of drycell made much larger.

It is to be noted that the negative electrode 4 is hermetically sealedwithin the electro lyte and by so doing a uniform induction ismaintained and by reason of the fact that the lead 6 is insulated fromthe electrolyte, it is properly hermetically sealed even at the point ofprojection exteriorly of the sealing composition 11, the terminalthereof being made of any length and preferably of such a length as toreadily engage the binuing post of the positive electrode of an adjacentcell. It has also been found that a dry cell constructed according tothe present invention is water proof, and may be exposed to theatmosphere and be unaffected by water, as the negative electrode, asbefore stated, is hermetically sealed and is therefore unaffected by anywater that would affect the usual projecting end of the negativeelectrode of the ordinary dry cell.

What is claimed is:

1. A dry cell, having a positive member, the greater portion of which isthe container, an electrolyte mounted therein, a negative electrodesubmerged within the electrolyte with its upper end below the uppersurface of the electrolyte, an insulated conductor leading from thenegative electrode through the electrolyte and exteriorly of the con-1,1 iaaeo tainer, a metal disk disposed upon the upper surface of theelectrolyte and contacting at its periphery with the container, thecontainer and the disk forming the positive electrode, and a hermeticalseal filling the upper end of the container above said disk.

2. A dry cell, including a metal receptacle comprising the positiveelectrode, a porous lining therefor extending to a point near the topthereof, an electrolyte filling the receptacle to the upper edge of theporous lining, a negative electrode disposed to be surrounded by theelectrolyte and having its upper end terminate at a point belovs theupper surface of the active material, an insulated combined conductorand terminal connection for the negative electrode connected to thenegative electrode and extending through the electrolyte, a coating oforous material 1 mounted upon the upper surface of the electrolyte, ametal disk fitted upon the last mentioned lining and in contact with thepositive electrode to form a portion thereof, and a hermetical sealabove the last mentioned disk andwithin the upper end of the receptacle.

3. A dry cell, including a metal receptacle comprising the positiveelectrode, a porous lining therefor extending to a point near the topthereof, an electrolyte filling the receptacle to the upper edge of theporous lining, a negative electrode disposed to be surrounded by theelectrolyte and having its upper end terminate at a point below theupper surface of the electrolyte, an insulated combined conductor andterminal connection for the negative electrode connected to the negativeelectrode and extending through the active material, a coating of porousmaterial mounted upon the upper surface of the electrolyte, a metal diskfitted upon the last mentioned lining and in contact with the positiveelectrode to form a portion thereof, a hermetical seal above the lastmentioned disk and within the upper end of the receptacle, and agranular packing between the metal disk and the hermetical seal.

4. A dry cell, having a positive electrode forming the receptacle, anelectrolyte therein, a negative electrode submerged withintheelectrolyte and having its upper end terminating at a point below theupper surface thereof, a piece of bare metal disposed within thenegative electrode at a point equidistant from the ends and axiallythereof, a lead contacting and extending from the metal piece andprojecting exteriorly of the positive electrode, an insulating coatingfor said lead extending from a point within the negative electrode to apoint exteriorly of the upper end of the positive electrode, theterminal of the lead being exposed and constituting a connectingterminal for an adjacent cell, and a metal disk fitting within andcontaining the wall of the receptacle and forming with the receptacle asurrounding positive electrode to contain the electrolyte and thenegative electrode, the lead being extended through the disk.

5. A dry cell, having a positive electrode container, an electrolytetherein, a negative electrode suspended within the electrolyte with thematerial beyond both ends thereof, a bare conductor leading centrallyfrom the negative electrode and exteriorly of the container andconstituting the negative terminal, insulating material surrounding theconductor from a point within the negative electrode and through theelectrolyte, a metal plate covering the electrolyte and contacting 15 toform with the container an inclosing ositive electrode, and a hermeticalseal a ove the metal plate and in the container.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing as our own, we have heretoaflixed our signa-- 20 tures in the presence of two witnesses.

JOSEPH E. RUNNER. WILLIAM A. PFISTERER.

' Witn es: a

ILLIAM O. Mo'onn, MICHAEL STONDT.

